When the ancient Polynesians invented surfing, they often used a paddle to help them navigate. Fast-forward a few millennia, and Stand-Up Paddleboarding, or SUP, finds itself trendy again. Part of its increasing popularity is that standing upright allows surfers to spot waves more easily and thus catch more of them, multiplying the fun factor. Paddling back to the wave becomes less of a strain as well. The ability to cruise along on flat inland water, surveying the sights, is another advantage. Finally, its a good core workout. If youre sold on the idea, schedule an intro SUP lesson, free with board and paddle rental, and you may find yourself riding the waves like a Polynesian king.More

Many of us remember coming home from our elementary schools with freshly glazed pinchpots, cups, or whatever else our young imaginations could conjure up. Saturday mornings at the Randall Museum can bring that memory back, or create a new one for the youngsters. Ceramics make great gifts — especially on Mothers' and Fathers' Day. Hop on board for the Randall's once-weekly class, and for $6 and two weeks to have your work fired and glazed, you'll have all the materials you need.More

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There are a number of reasons why you should see a show at The Regency Ballroom — its ornate, turn-of-the-century architecture and eclectic lineup of performers, to name a few — but no reason is more compelling than the venue's ample seating.

For someone who lives in the downtown corridor — all right, the Tenderloin — the idea of going to Ocean Beach for pizza is rife with potential pratfalls: high Uber fares, lengthy Muni trips, ever-present fog, jet lag.

Friday, May 27, 2016

Pişmaniye, a Turkish dessert created by cooking flour in butter and pulling it into threads, translates to "hair candy."

Plus Esquire includes Whitechapel among its 18 Best Bars, and a lot of beer news to send you on your way this holiday weekend.

Clay With Your Food A Culinary Death Match in RichmondAs part of SF Design Week, chefs Kelsey Kerr of Standard Fare, Mark Liberman of AQ, and Galen Vasquez of Sons & Daughters will compete against one another on Sunday, June 5 at Jered's Pottery in Richmond, Calif. Clay With Your Food: The Triathlon will force them to cook in an 800-degree kiln, create dishware from pottery, then plate their food on a something real artsy-like designed by Jered's own Jered Nelson. Judges include occasional SFoodie contributor The Dapper Diner, who may struggle to remain dapper if it gets messy (as promised).

Ghirardelli Opens a Lagunitas Beer GardenGhirardelli Square's transformation into a cool spot that locals might not scoff at while giving side-eye and pantomiming the act of vomiting is really moving along. For the summer, Lagunitas and Hint Water have opened up a free beer garden at 900 North Point St. that will run from Thursdays through Sundays, noon - 7 p.m. (It will be open on Memorial Day, too.) You can picnic while drinking $7 beers like Lagunitas' Little Sumpin' Sumpin' and IPA — along with Hint's sugar-free, fruit-infused waters — and half the beer sales will go to the very worthy nonprofits SOMArts and the San Francisco Parks Alliance.

Youkilis Brothers to Open a Very Large Brewpub in Los Gatos
Scott Youkilis (of Hog & Rocks) and his brother Kevin (formerly of Major League Baseball) will open a 150-seat brewpub called Loma Brewing Company on the 7,000-square-foot site of the former Los Gatos Brewing Co., at 130 N. Santa Cruz Avenue (four blocks from The Bywater). There will be 14 beers on tap, and the project reunites Scott Youkilis with Chef Aubree Arndt, who was a line cook at Maverick until its 2013 fire.

Hillary Clinton Ate at Liholiho Yacht Club
So says Hoodline (although no one gleaned what she actually ate.) You know, people really ragged on her for the hot sauce thing but Madam Secretary, you've got good taste.

ThirstyBear Creates an SFMOMA-Inspired BeerSFMOMA MOSAIC is ThirstyBear Brewing Co.'s newest release, is made with an American hop called Mosaic and a German Pils malt, then fermented with a Belgian Abbey yeast. You can enjoy its mango and papaya notes only at ThirstyBear's brewery at 661 Howard St.

Smuggler's Cove and Whitechapel Among Esquire's Best Bars
Although such things give smug national-media douchebags an pretext to punch down at second-tier cities that manage to have a cool bar or two, Esquire's list of the 18 Best Bars in America includes Whitechapel. Smuggler's Cove (which is owned by the same people) is on the magazine's Hall of Fame.

Abandon the Fog and Eat a Hog
On Saturday, June 11, Grabishfarm in Dixon will host Lungomare's Craig DiFonzo and Chop Bar's Lev Delaney for a $125, whole-hog, farm-to-fork Spring Hootenanny in which guests will dine while parrying the farmers, chefs, and winemakers about their craft — outdoors, in golden hour, like a Terrence Malick film. What are the odds that it's sunny and arm in San Francisco that night? Warm, pastoral Dixon's only an hour away...
Boba Guys Opening in 8 Octavia Next Month
According to Hoodline, Boba Guys' Hayes Valley location will be inside the Stanley Saitowitz-designed building at 8 Octavia Blvd. There will be alfajores, a collaboration with Black Sands Brewery, and a matcha-horchata blend called (you guessed it) matchata. We're still waiting for True Cup, the adjacent sake bar, to open a year after it was announced.

Mid-Market Continues to Become a Foodie Destination
Inside Scoop reports that a restaurant and bar called Fermentation Lab will go in next to Sam's Diner at 1230 Market Street sometime this fall, combining beer with fermented dishes (including Korean food).
Polk Street Whole Foods 365 Tied Up in Planning
Socketsite reports that the saga of the former Lombardi's Sports and possible future Whole Foods 365 at 1600 Jackson Street has turned into a technical argument over the size of a formula retail establishment vis-a-vis any residential units above. Seems like one likely outcome is demolishing the 59,000-square-foot building altogether.

Against IBUs to Measure Bitterness in Beer
Draft Magazine has a four-point argument against International Bittering Units (IBUs), saying they can't be scientifically measured and don't really tell you about a beer's hoppiness (or even its bitterness).

Henry Heimlich, 96-Year-Old Inventor of the Heimlich Maneuver, Used it for the First Time
Via the Cincinnati Enquirer, the choking victim lived to thank him.

"Fears Sheep May Go on ‘Psychotic Rampage’ Through Welsh Village After Eating Fly-Tipped Cannabis"
Some headlines are just too good.

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Sub Pop recording artists 'clipping.' brought their brand of noise-driven experimental hip hop to the closing night of 2016's San Francisco Electronic Music Fest this past Sunday. The packed Brava Theater hosted an initially seated crowd that ended the night jumping and dancing against the front of the stage. The trio performed a set focused on their recently released Sci-Fi Horror concept album, 'Splendor & Misery', then delved into their dancier and more aggressive back catalogue, and recent single 'Wriggle'.
Opening performances included local experimental electronic duo 'Tujurikkuja' and computer music artist 'Madalyn Merkey.'"